Richard Hatch is perhaps Survivor’s most iconic winner, yet he will not play in Winners at War. After watching Island of the Idols, it’s a sensible move.
There are three major instances of unwanted sexual contact, harassment, or touching that have become major talking points inSurvivor’salmost 20-year history. Ted Rogers grinding up on Ghandia Johnson one night in his sleep duringThailandremarkably didn’t move the needle as much asDan Spilo’s continued unwanted touching of several women did17 years later.
Arguably the most irresponsibly edited instance of impropriety happened duringSurvivor: All-Starswhen, during an Immunity Challenge in episode 5, Richard Hatch reportedly rubbed his genitals on fellow castaway Sue Hatch at a juncture on the course. He hasdenied the exact nature of the event, but it was certainly enough of a distressful moment for Sue to pull herself from the game the day afterward.
We’re not here to re-litigate an event roughly a decade and a half old, nor are we here to admonish or defend any individual in particular. However, withSurvivor: Winners at Warbringing 20 champions together for season 40 as they battle for $2 million, many have asked about the lack ofone of the show’s most iconic winnersfrom the roster.
That’s exactly what happened, and I never touched her. The entire issue was definitively put to rest when we all sat in a room in 2004 and reviewed clear, unaired footage from 4 different cameras. Tyler’s ignorant perspective perpetuates the lies, but doesn’t change that truth.
— Richard Hatch (@HatchRichard)December 19, 2019
Though we will likely never get a 100% honest answer from CBS,Survivorproduction, Jeff Probst, or Richard Hatch collectively, it logically makes sense why Richard Hatch isn’t playing inSurvivor: Winners at War; doing so would optically undo theserious structural changes being madeto cover unwanted acts of sexual harassment, assault, and other sexually-charged incidents in the wake ofIsland of the Idols.
The filming schedules for seasons 39 and 40 were sandwiched between the airing ofEdge of Extinctionon television earlier this year. Several weeks after it began airing,Island of the Idolswas being filmed, ending just short of theEdge of Extinctionfinale. It was roughly less than a week later thatWinners at Warbegan filming per Dalton Ross, meaning production had just dealt with Dan Spilobeing removed from the season.
It would be impossible for production to know just how season 39 was going to be portrayed due to editing, but the severity of the situation and how much sexual impropriety had become entwined with the events of the season. Those in charge of the show had to know it would become a talking point around the timethe preview forWinners at Warwould be revealed, even if they didn’t know the severity yet.
Even if the truth was Richard hadn’t rubbed up against Sue (or, at the very least, angled his lower body towards her in close proximity while saying, “Want some? Want some, honey?”), the timing of Dan Spilo’s actions followed by bringing Richard back onto the show would be poor at best and downright deplorable at worst.
Rather than weigh the possibilities of how much they could control the discourse, it seems as though not including Richard Hatch inSurvivor: Winners at Warwould be the most straightforward method for avoiding that discussion. It’s a logical, simple answer to a complex problem, and there are plenty of exciting winners cast for the season regardless.
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